Portret van Gerard van Velzen 1783 - 1795

This print portrays Gerard van Velzen and was crafted by Reinier Vinkeles. The lower scene shows soldiers storming a castle—an image of conflict and conquest that resonates across time. Here, we find echoes of ancient Roman triumphs, where military victories were immortalized, to the medieval tapestries depicting heroic sieges, and Renaissance paintings of mythical battles. This motif reappears across epochs, shifting from literal depictions of war to symbolic representations of personal or political struggles. Consider how the raised ladders, present here, echo images of the deposition of Christ, a profound shift from aggression to suffering. The psychological pull of such images lies in our collective memory, a subconscious recognition of power dynamics, and the inherent human fascination with conflict. It is in this non-linear, cyclical progression that symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, continuously engaging viewers on a primal, emotional level.